North Haven is now the new home to an At Home, the Home Décor Superstore. After more than two years in the planning and development stages, First Selectman Michael J. Freda announced on July 19 that the North Haven Universal Drive location would celebrate its grand opening on July 27 (after press time).

“This is a retailer that can be best described as a giant Home Goods store,” Freda wrote in a 2021 Facebook post announcing finalized details of the store.

Representatives for At Home describe the retailer as a “unique home décor concept that offers the biggest in-store selection of home décor styles at an incredible value.” The North Haven location is expected to feature items including furniture, decor items including pillows, rugs, and curtains; kitchen, dining, and bed and bath, as well as outdoor and seasonal items.

At Home, a Texas-based retailer, opens its newest 80,000-square-foot location in the former Toys R Us/Babies R Us and Ulta storefronts in the plaza currently housing Best Buy, Big Lots, and Petco. According to a press release from At Home, most of its retail locations average 100,00 square feet.

In his 2021 announcement on Facebook, Freda wrote that bringing At Home to North Haven required major reconstruction and renovation.

“Due to the massive reconstruction and retrofitting involved and needed in that 80,000 square foot portion of that plaza, it will take several months to design and build out that large space for this new store to open.”

At Home celebrated the opening of its 250th store in June in Amhert, New York, and has opened more than a dozen stores nationwide since January. Currently, the only other Connecticut location is in Manchester.